Patients with the most lethal form of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) – based on genetic profiles of their cancers – typically survive for only four to six months after diagnosis, even with aggressive chemotherapy. But new research by John Welch and colleagues in the Oncology Division indicates that such patients, paradoxically, may live longer if they receive a milder chemotherapy drug. WU Record 11/28/16

New immunotherapy for leukemia shows promise in small clinical trial

A new type of immunotherapy shows promise against cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that recur after treatment or that never respond to therapy in the first place. A small clinical trial conducted by Rizwan Romee and Todd Fehniger provides evidence that the immune system’s "natural killer" cells can be dialed up in the laboratory, trained to recall that activation and then effectively unleashed to destroy cancer cells in some patients. Science Translational Medicine 2016 Sep 21 | WU Record 9/21/16

Study finds marker of aggressive prostate cancer

The level of an RNA molecule (PCAT-14) expressed in prostate tumors is an indicator of whether the cancer is likely to spread, according to research published by Chris Maher and colleagues. Down-regulation of PCAT-14 is associated with a greater probability of metastatic progression, and this finding may help to determine the intensity of therapy in individual patients. European Urology 2016 Jul 22 | WU Record 8/2/16

2016 Employee Recognition Awards

Thirty-four employees in the Divisions of Hematology and Oncology were recognized at the 2016 Department of Medicine Length of Service Awards Ceremony for service to the department spanning 10 to 40 years. In addition, Bob Barczewski, Director of Business Operations for the Division of Oncology, received the annual Dean’s Distinguished Service Award. List and photos of awardees

2016 Dr. Adel A. Yunis Awards for Research Excellence

The Hematology Division is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2016 Dr. Adel A. Yunis Awards for Research Excellence. These awards recognize outstanding postdoctoral fellows, house staff or students conducting basic research in molecular hematology. This year the recipients are Wilson C. Fok, Ph.D., and Alexandre T. Vessoni, Ph.D. Both awardees are postdoctoral fellows in the laboratory of Luis Batista, Ph.D.

Study seeks clues to breast cancer outcomes in African-American women

Foluso Ademuyiwa and her colleague Laura Beirut (Department of Psychiatry) are launching a major study in African-American women with breast cancer to learn whether their genetic risks are influenced by the same mutations that affect white women or are altogether different mutations. Such information may lead to new ways to prevent or treat breast cancer in African-American women. WU Record 7/29/16

Immune-based therapy in mice shows promise against pancreatic cancer

David DeNardo, Andrea Wang-Gillam and their colleagues have shown that immunotherapy against pancreatic cancer can be effective when given in conjunction with focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitors, drugs that break up the fibrous tissue in these tumors. A phase 1 clinical trial to test the safety of FAK inhibitors in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer is underway. Nature Medicine 2016 Jul 4 | WU Record 7/5/16

Probing proteins' 3-D structures suggests existing drugs may work for many cancers

Examining databases of proteins’ 3-D shapes, a group led by Li Ding has identified more than 850 DNA mutations that appear to be linked to cancer. The information may expand the number of cancer patients who can benefit from existing drugs. Nature Genetics 2016 Jun 13 | WU Record 6/13/16

Tim Ley is being recognized for his pioneering research in cancer genomics. His studies have laid the groundwork for precision medicine in cancer, which targets treatment to a patient based on the genetic makeup of a tumor and how it responds to therapy. WU Record 5/18/16

Express Scripts contributes to cancer care in north St. Louis County

To help improve access to cancer specialists for underinsured residents of north St. Louis County, Express Scripts, a leading pharmacy benefit management company, has donated $200,000 to Washington University to establish the Express Scripts North County Oncology Fund. Proceeds will provide greater access to specialty care and treatments, including clinical trials, at Christian Hospital on Dunn Road. WU Record 4/6/16

Govindan named Anheuser-Busch Endowed Chair in Medical Oncology

Ramaswamy Govindan has been named the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Chair in Medical Oncology. The Anheuser-Busch Foundation established the endowed chair in 2001. Govindan was honored for his innovative research, including in genomics, aimed at developing better lung cancer therapies and improving patient outcomes. WU Record 2/17/16

Study uncovers hard-to-detect cancer mutations

Li Ding and co-workers developed a software tool for finding a certain type of genetic error that has been consistently missed by cancer genome studies. These "complex indels" appear to cluster in important cancer genes more often than can be attributed to random chance. Patients may benefit when indels are found in genes that already have drugs designed to counter the effects of mutation. Nature Medicine 2016;22:97 | WU Record 1/5/16

Ley receives $6.4 million NCI award for leukemia research​​

Tim Ley, Director of the Stem Cell Biology Section in the Division of Oncology, received a seven-year, $6.4 million Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The funding allows him to continue research aimed at understanding the mutations that initiate acute myeloid leukemia. WU Record 10/22/15

2015 Rally for Cancer Care

175 adults and 40 kids played in the 11th annual Rally for Cancer Care tennis tournament on August 29th at the Frontenac Tennis Club. This year's event raised over $30,000 for the Patient Care Fund. Highlights Video

Relapse in AML is linked to genetic mutations that persist in remission

Using genetic profiling to study bone marrow samples from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), Tim Ley and colleagues found that those whose cells still carried mutations 30 days after the initiation of chemotherapy were about three times more likely to relapse and die than patients whose bone marrow was cleared of these mutations. JAMA 2015;314:811 | WU Record 8/25/15

Siteman Cancer Center earns highest rating from the NCI

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis an “exceptional” rating, based on a rigorous review of Siteman’s research programs. The rating is the highest possible by the NCI, the principal federal institute that funds cancer research. WU Record 7/7/15

Nanotherapy effective in mice with multiple myeloma

Michael Tomasson and colleagues have designed a nanoparticle-based therapy that is effective in treating mice with multiple myeloma, a cancer of bone marrow immune cells. Targeted specifically to the malignant cells, these nanoparticles protect their therapeutic cargo from degradation in the bloodstream and greatly enhance drug delivery into the cancer cells. Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14:1286 | WU Record 5/18/15

New technology may reduce deadly complication of bone marrow transplants

Linda Eissenberg, John DiPersio, and their colleagues have developed a new approach to mitigate graft-versus-host disease. In a pilot study, they showed that donor T cells genetically modified to contain a suicide switch can be administered safely to patients with leukemia. The desired result of donor T cell administration is to produce a graft-versus-leukemia effect. If the donor T cells expand and cause severe graft-versus-host disease, however, they can be killed by turning on the suicide switch with ganciclovir. Mol Ther 2015;23:1110 | WU Record 5/11/15

Medical students honor faculty

Each year, medical students express appreciation for their teachers’ efforts by selecting the course masters, lecturers, clerkship directors, attendings and residents who distinguished themselves most in educating students. Among this year's recipients of the Distinguished Service Teaching Awards are Scot Hickman of the Hematology Division and Jason Weber of the Oncology Division (Molecular Oncology Section). WU Record 12/11/14

Terrence Wong, a hematology-oncology fellow working in Dan Link's laboratory, found that mutations that accumulate randomly as a person ages can play a role in a fatal form of leukemia that develops after treatment for another cancer. This study, which was done in collaboration with colleagues in the Oncology Division and The Genome Institute at Washington University, challenges the view that cancer treatment in itself is a direct cause of therapy-related AML. Nature 2015;518:552 | WU Record 12/8/14

Many older people have mutations linked to leukemia or lymphoma in their blood cells

Analyzing blood samples from subjects enrolled in The Cancer Genome Atlas project, Li Ding and co-workers discovered that 5 percent of people over age 70 harbor mutations linked to leukemia and lymphoma. Since the incidence of these disorders is less than 0.1 percent among the elderly, additional research is needed to determine whether these mutations increase the risk of developing a hematologic malignancy. Nature Medicine 2014;20:1472 | WU Record 10/19/14

ASH Recognizes John DiPersio for Outstanding Mentorship

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) will honor Grover C. Bagby Jr., MD, and John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD, with 2014 Mentor Awards at the 56th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Francisco for their sustained, outstanding commitment to the training and career development of early-career hematologists. ASH Press Release 7/22/14

Stephen Oh named Doris Duke-Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator

Steve Oh is one of seven new Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators. The recipients of this prestigious three-year award are outstanding early career physician-scientists conducting patient-oriented cancer research at major research centers under the mentorship of the nation's leading scientists and clinicians. Each will receive $450,000 to support the development of his/her cancer research program. Dr. Oh aims to investigate the cellular abnormalities that underlie myeloproliferative neoplasms. Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation 6/23/14

Lung cancer study hints at new treatments

Ramaswamy Govindan and collaborators in The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network have discovered mutations in the RTK/RAS/RAF signaling pathway that are present in about 75% of patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung. The new findings may expand treatments for this disease, because drugs targeting some of these genetic changes already are available or are in clinical trials. Nature 2014;511:543 | WU Record 7/9/14

Some aggressive cancers may respond to anti-inflammatory drugs

Jason Weber's laboratory has found that triple-negative breast cancer cells lacking the tumor suppressor proteins p53 and ARF turn on a JAK-dependent pathway involved in the innate immune response to viral infection. This antiviral response may create a local environment of inflammation that supports more aggressive tumors. The study suggests that some patients may benefit from JAK inhibitors, a class of anti-inflammatory drugs currently prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis. Cell Reports 2014;7:514 | WU Record 6/26/14

New center aims to use immune system to fight cancer, other diseases

A laboratory within the Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs (CHiiPs) will monitor changes in the immune system during clinical trials of new immunotherapies. The centerpiece of the laboratory, directed by Steve Oh, is a state-of-the-art instrument known as a time-of-flight mass cytometer that simultaneously can detect more than 50 different structures either on the cell surface or inside the cell. WU Record 4/17/14

Journal honors breast cancer researcher

The Journal of Biological Chemistry has recognized Ron Bose and his colleagues for their work describing the combined structure of two proteins (HER2 and HER3) that, when bound together, drive growth of many breast cancers. This work was chosen as JBC's best signal transduction article of 2013. J Biol Chem 2013;288:25254 | WU Record 3/27/14

Surprising culprit found in cell recycling defect

Members of Stuart Kornfeld's laboratory have identified an unusual cause of the lysosomal storage disorder called mucolipidosis III. They found that a phosphotransferase, which is responsible for adding the targeting signal to lysosomal enzymes, seems to lack a mechanism that keeps it properly localized in the Golgi apparatus. PNAS 2014;111:3532 | WU Record 3/12/14

A new study by Li Ding and colleagues estimates that about 20% of women with ovarian cancer have inherited genetic mutations associated with increased risk, even though most of these women do not have strong family histories of the disease. The research is the first large-scale analysis of the combined contributions of inherited and acquired mutations in a major cancer type. Nature Communications 2014;5:3156 | WU Record 2/22/14

Lee Ratner named Wolff Professor of Oncology

Lee Ratner's primary research interest focuses on retroviruses, including the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1, which causes a specific form of lymphoma, and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) associated with AIDS. His studies have been applied to developing novel therapeutic approaches for these viral infections. WU Record 11/7/13

Evan Sadler elected to the Institute of Medicine

Evan Sadler, chief of the Division of Hematology, has been elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors medical scientists in the United States can receive. The Institute of Medicine serves as a national resource for independent analysis and recommendations on issues related to medicine, biomedical sciences and health. WU Record 10/21/13

Genetic errors identified in 12 major cancer types

Li Ding and co-workers have identified 127 repeatedly mutated genes that appear to drive the development and progression of a range of tumors. For example, a gene mutated in 25 percent of leukemia cases also was found in tumors of the breast, rectum, head and neck, kidney, lung, ovary and uterus. The discovery sets the stage for devising new diagnostic tools and more personalized cancer treatments. Nature 2013;502:333 | WU Record 10/16/13

Database of disease genes shows potential drug therapies

Obi Griffith and his twin brother Malachi, working with colleagues at The Genome Institute, have created an online database that matches genes linked to cancer and other diseases with drugs that target those genes. The database includes more than 14,000 drug-gene interactions involving 2,600 genes and 6,300 drugs. Another 6,700 genes are in the database because they potentially could be targeted with future drugs. Nature Methods 2013;10:1209 | WU Record 10/13/13

Discovery helps show how breast cancer spreads

Working in mouse models of breast cancer and breast tumor samples from patients, Greg Longmore and his colleagues showed that a protein on the surface of tumor cells, called DDR2, binds to collagen and activates a multistep pathway that encourages tumor cells to spread. This finding may explain why women with dense breasts are at increased risk for invasive breast cancer. Nature Cell Biology 2013;15:677 | WU Record 5/5/13

Distinct niches in bone marrow nurture blood stem cells

In research that one day could improve the success of stem cell transplants and chemotherapy, Dan Link and co-workers have found that distinct niches exist in bone marrow to nurture different types of blood stem cells. The new findings, in mice, suggest that it may be possible to therapeutically target support cells in a particular niche. Nature 2013;495:227 | WU Record 2/24/13

Julia Hudson Freund Memorial Lecture

Featured Video:Immunotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia

Rizwan Romee and Todd Fehniger, members of the Oncology Division, discuss their phase I trial of a new immunotherapy against acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The treatment harnesses the immune system's "natural killer" cells, putting them through a training period in the lab to help them attack leukemia cells in the blood.